10 Things to do at the beginning of every school year.

Come along a new session and each teacher and child is brimming with a lot of energy and enthusiasm. Each year brings new challenges and it is nice to see everyone embracing them with open arms and a smile with a quote ‘We have a solution for every problem.’ It si the best time of the year as everyone is optimistic and so a lot of progress is harnessed.

Below mentioned are a list of things a teacher must do to begin a year.

a.      Read, Read and Read: Every teacher must read a lot of books or binge into blog reading about books, how to improve reading habits of children, or classroom management, or bulletin boards, etc. Reading helps you to gather a lot of information. It may not come in handy all at once, but your mind has a trait of giving the dose to you at the right time i.e. when you require it the most. Reading also comes in planning to a great extent. (Picture of reading material)

A good link which shows you how to work on Phonics.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzHVmX1pnc8

Below given is a very good link of website which has material to read

http://www.readingrockets.org/audience/teachers

b.      Maintain a journal: Maintaining a journal helps you to note down your teaching aims for the year. It gives you a good start. Your daily to do list can also go in the journal and hence you can keep track of your goals for the coming session.

c.       Day one activities: Plan out good Day-One activities for the students. If it’s a new session, then you need to gear up for the budding enthusiasts who are going to come to your class. Make your activities colorful, and filled with fun. Even if it is a session break, day one activities set the ball rolling for the coming session.

d.      Bulletin Boards:  Unique and creative ideas are available on the internet for bulletin boards. Make your class attractive by decorating bulletin boards in your classroom to remove the slumber from the children if there is any.

e.       High Energy Level:  First day of the school is tiring after vacations but keep the energy level very high to ensure that your children also receive the message of ‘Back to work.’

f.       Classroom Rules: Classroom rules set the tone of the teaching and behavior of the children. Hence make rules which the children must remember to follow. It is good to discuss the rules with the children. It gives them a taste of how important decision making is.

g.      Classroom Helpers: Make children responsible for certain tasks in the classroom. Make classroom helpers for proper delegation and implementation of work.

h.      Good Lesson Planning: Everything said and done nothing can replace good teaching. Browse, discuss, create, innovate and come up with good teaching ideas which would suffice for sometime to come or else until too much work grapples you. Making a note of teaching ideas in the journal will also help you to recapitulate whenever you are running short of time to research and come up with something new.

i.        Personal Time and feedback: Remember the children need your personal attention during school hours. All the more so when the school starts as there are many new things which they need to understand to start their learning process. Understanding instructions given by a new person is also difficult sometimes. Hence it is said that patience is the key at this time with the students. Take a feedback from the children before they go home on day one about the classroom, or classroom rules of bulletin boards or the lesson taught by you. Feedback is a great way of building appositive relationship with the children.

j.        Speak out Loud: You can also have a Speak out Loud activity wherein the child is encouraged to speak about How he spent the day in school. This also gives you an insight on how to deal with the children of your class.

OH! This is too much work for day One! But it pays to do all of this. You can add or reduce the task and adjust it according to your classroom needs.

I can already feel the excitement in the air to start the new session.

Best Of Luck!

Next: 5 Ways to give Instructions to the Students.

8 Mistakes a teacher should avoid!

Teaching can be a smooth sailing job if certain rules are followed and certain mistakes avoided. Remember it is the students or the future of any nation that we are talking about. As often quoted, I would also quote again that teaching is a noble profession and requires a lot of determination, integrity and skill.

Teaching or rather any profession can roll in success or accomplishment for a person if he or she has self discipline. The same mantra of self discipline is applicable in this profession also. One wonders how a few teachers are able to take the burden and out shine others? You may also think how come a teacher who slogs and works so hard looks refreshing and is enthusiastic at all times?

The secret behind their gleaming personalities and humble demeanors lies below in avoiding the below mentioned habits or traits-

a.       Choosing a dress-Remember you have students, children who are gleaming and bubbling with joy and energy at all times. Hence you should never choose a dress in which you are uncomfortable because a lot of tasks have to be performed at the same time. Also do not overdress yourself and neither be shabby in appearance. Always be decently dressed which gives out positive teaching vibes to the children.

b.      Don’t ever wear a frown: A smile easily wins hearts and a frown just increases the distance between the students and the teacher. Whatever your frustrations or worries, never wear them on your face as a frown. Students get taken aback and do not respond positively to the teacher. Hence your classroom management can go out of control. Enter the class with a smile and greet the students before you begin the class.

c.       Never Stick to a corner-Most often teachers are seen standing in one corner or they have a favourite place in the classroom. Once they enter the classroom, they take their place and remain there until the period gets over. Avoid this. Never develop any predictable pattern for the students. Always be unpredictable. They must be curious at all times as to what she is up to today. Move all over the classroom. Infact try teaching from the back of the classrooms so that the children have to turn back and look at you. It keeps their attention for long.

d.      Never go late to a class-As a teacher you have to set rules. And it is better to follow before you lead. So reach the class on time and leave when the period is over. The students also understand the importance of punctuality.

e.       Never humiliate- The ground rule says that children get motivated to learn only in a positive environment. If they fail to perform one must only give them positive motivation to try again but never abuse them verbally to drive home the point. Any misbehavior on their part should be firmly dealt with but don’t harm the child’s perception about his ability to perform.

f.       Never go unplanned to the class-Planning is a prerequisite for teaching. All your lessons must be well planned. Take time out on a regular basis or weekly basis, whichever suits you to plan your lessons, the methodology and the ideas or activities to be done. Proper planning will save time and ensure proper implementation of the lesson.

g.      Avoid leaving the class during period- Many educators do not realize that leaving the class to go to the staffroom for some work is a sign of faulty planning on the part of the teacher. It shows that you were not prepared for the class. Remember to carry the material or stationery of printed worksheets to the class with you. Or place it in the class rack one day prior so that you do not have to hunt for it at the last minute.

h.      Don’t follow the rules of the students, make your own rules-At times the students get into the habit of making their own rules like-asking a question again and again, speaking when not asked to, replying for an answer in chorus, etc. As a teacher one must frame these rules at the starting of the year. Rules once framed must be followed until they realize that those rules are going to stay and it would be an offence if they tried to cross their lines. Gently make the students understand that they have to wait for their turn to answer, they cannot speak if a teacher is teaching and many more. These rules can be framed according to the needs of the class and they can be changed when required.

If the above mentioned points are avoided one is in for a successful and enjoyable roller coaster ride.

Next Article: 10 Things to do at the beginning of every school year.